Display marker clip

ABSTRACT

A spring clip is provided with retaining means for holding an associated attention directing card and is also provided with sides having flanges for snapping into grooves of a conventional C-shaped price tag molding with which the clip is used.

United States Patent 91 Slavsky [54] DISPLAY MARKER CLIP [75] Inventor: Robert J. Slavsky, Lathrup Village,

Mich.

[731 Assignee: Shaw 8: Slavsky, lnc., Detroit,

Mich.

[221 Filed: Nov. 30, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 203,373

[52] US. Cl. ..40/11 R [51] Int. Cl ..G09f 3/18 [58] Field of Search ..40/l0, ll, 11 A, 125, 23

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,927,701 3/1960 Lynde m/11k 1 Jan. 23, 1973 5.65,]fi 1736i nen'iw'a'm"; 4l)/ H R X 3,324,585 6/1967 Frederickson.... ..40/1l R 3,530,605 9/1970 Guttersom ..40/|l R Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Wenceslao .l. Contreras Attorney-Daniel G. Cullen [57] ABSTRACT A spring clip is provided with retaining means for holding an associated attention directing card and is also provided with sides having flanges for snapping into grooves of a conventional C-shaped price tag molding with which the clip is used.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures DISPLAY MARKER CLIP BACKGROUND In this application, as in my prior application, Ser.

No. 163,387, filed July 16, 1971, I disclose novel clips having somewhat different constructions than clips now known, and which are superior in performance.

OBJECTS This application discloses a sheet metal clip characterized by the fact that it may be used with lightweight thin plastic display markers and not requiring and not limited for use with heavy-weight thick plastic markers.

Another feature of the clip hereof is that it may easily be removed, without the use of a tool, from the molding into which it has been placed simply by squeezing the sides of the clip with the fingers. Normally, the mounting of the clip follows the placing of a marker in the clip; and removal of the clip from a molding precedes removal of a marker from a clip.

The removal of the marker from the clip may be accomplished by finger-squeezing the ends of the clip together for releasing the marker. To facilitate the finger-squeezing action, the ends of the clip are provided with holes or indentations for receiving the tips of the fingers of the user.

Also shown here is the use of the clip with a C- shaped molding, which may be curved or flat; and which may be formed on its back surface with a pressure sensitive tape which enables the molding to be secured to a flat surface. The clip hereof is so formed that the release of a marker from a clip is very easy and thus the removal of a marker from a clip may be effected without tending to pull a molding off the surface to which the molding has been adhered.

THE DRAWING The appended drawing shows a preferred form of the clip hereof. In such drawing:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a clip in a molding and mounting a marker.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views on arrows 2 and 3 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a section view as if on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows a metal blank for the clip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The clip hereof comprises a sheet metal device formed with a rectangular front 10, two ends 12, two sides 14, and an open back.

The four sides and ends are joined at 18 to the four edges of the front. Ends 12 project forwardly, sides 14 rearwardly, from the front 10, which is double sloped or concave, where a central slot 22 extends across the front and continues partly, as slits, at 24, but equally on each of the two sides 14 for receiving a display marker 26. The front slot 22 has toothed edges 27 for enhancing the grip of the clip on a display marker. One edge 27 is shown as having four teeth, the other three. Slits 24 bevel towards the three tooth edges to help maintain the marker upright.

The opposite free and rear edges of the sides 14 are flanged at 28, for seating into grooves 30 of a C-shaped molding 32 such as is conventional.

Normally, when the device is in stable condition with no marker in place, the slot 22 in the front is relatively narrow, and the teeth of slot 22 are somewhat in register.

However, the ends 12 are finger-squeezable towards each other to widen the slot 22 in the front and enable a display marker to be removed from the slot as desired. The release of the finger-squeezing permits the two front parts on opposite sides of the slot 22 to return to unsprung condition and with the slot 22 normally narrow.

In the squeezing action, the two parts of the front, normally somewhat conceived and normally somewhat close together and with their teeth at 22 somewhat in register, are oppositely biased, to widen the slot 22.

The flanges 28 of the sides 14 also have toothed edges 34 for facilitating the grip of the clip in a moldmg.

Shown are indentations or holes 36 in the heads 37 of ends 12 for locating the tips of the fingers of the user.

FIG. 3 shows the clip when not in use, with sides 14 widely opened apart, and with front wall 10 concaved, FIG. 4.

When the clip is being used, the sides 14 are squeezed together, as in FIG. 1, and this flattens the front wall 10 for enhancing the locking effect of the slot 22 on the inserted marker 26, when the clip is in the molding.

It will be noted that no tool is needed to widen the slot 22 and release the marker. All that is necessary is the application of finger pressure to the ends 12.

It will also be noted that the normal use of finger pressure will not deform the device in such a way that it will no longer grip the display marker.

Marker 26 may be imprinted largely in fluorescent colors, with a clear white area provided to be free of tooth marks despite repeated mountings of the marker in the toothed slot 22 of the clip. The marker itself is of tin, light weight sheet plastic, one example being of 0.015 inches thickness.

Now having described the clip here shown, reference should be had to the claims which follow.

Iclaim:

I. A display marker clip comprising:

a sheet metal device formed with a rectangular front wall; two ends, two sides, and its back open;

with the four sides and ends being joined only to the four edges of the front wall and otherwise separated relatively;

a slot extending across the front wall and continuing partly only but equally on the two sides as slits for receiving a display marker;

the free and rear opposite edges of the sides being flanged outwardly for seating into separated grooves of a C-shaped molding;

the ends being finger-squeezable towards each other to widen the slot in the front wall and releasable to permit the two front wall parts to return to unsprung condition wherein the slot is normally nar row;

said clip having its ends projecting forwardly from the front, and its sides projecting rearwardly from the front.

place properly.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the front wall slot has toothed edges.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the side flanges have toothed edges.

6. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the front is double sloped or concaved with its center and slot behind the plane of the ends of the front, and the front is formed to be sprung forwardly when the sides are squeezed together, as when the clip is mounted in a molding designed to mount the clip.

7. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the front is double sloped or concaved towards the front slot.

8. A clip according to claim 7 whereby squeezing of the ends together further concaves the front to widen the front slot to enable easy insertion of a marker.

9. A clip according to claim 7 whereby squeezing the sides together tends to flatten the front to narrow the front slot for increased grip on an inserted marker. 

1. A display marker clip comprising: a sheet metal device formed with a rectangular front wall; two ends, two sides, and its back open; with the four sides and ends being joined only to the four edges of the front wall and otherwise separated relatively; a slot extending across the front wall and continuing partly only but equally on the two sides as slits for receiving a display marker; the free and rear opposite edges of the sides being flanged outwardly for seating into separated grooves of a C-shaped molding; the ends being finger-squeezable towards each other to widen the slot in the front wall and releasable to permit the two front wall parts to return to unsprung condition wherein the slot is normally narrow; said clip having its ends projecting forwardly from the front, and its sides projecting rearwardly from the front.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the side slits facilitate the widening and narrowing of the slot in the front wall.
 3. A clip according to claim 2 wherein the front slot has an even number of teeth on one edge and an odd number of teeth on the other edge; and the slits are bevelled towards the edge of the front slot having the lesser number of teeth, to help maintain the marker in place properly.
 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the front wall slot has toothed edges.
 5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the side flanges have toothed edges.
 6. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the front is double sloped or concaved with its center and slot behind the plane of the ends of the front, and the front is formed to be sprung forwardly when the sides are squeezed together, as when the clip is mounted in a molding designed to mount the clip.
 7. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the front is double sloped or concaved towards the front slot.
 8. A clip according to claim 7 whereby squeezing of the ends together further concaves the front to widen the front slot to enable easy insertion of a marker.
 9. A clip according to claim 7 whereby squeezing the sides together tends to flatTen the front to narrow the front slot for increased grip on an inserted marker. 